That Time Vince McMahon ACTUALLY Stopped Booking WWE

Cowboy Bill Watts
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Watts' tenure was short and unpopular - an echo of his WCW downfall, rather than his Mid-South genius, or maybe a flash hybrid of both.

Gauging by the October 16 WON, it would appear that one of Meltzer's sources was unhappy. Watts, ostensibly pre-internet, implemented a policy as antiquated as those with which he had pissed everybody off in WCW: talent on the big shows were not told of the finish until the day of, which undermined their ability to work. Talents were more meticulous in preparation than in Watts' era, which he imposed on them for the apparent sake of secrecy, though there was always the sense that the man couldn't much stomach what had happened to the game. There was perhaps as much defiance as protection in his thinking.

Watts resigned, almost immediately, after a disagreement with Vince over what constituted his role. The reality is that Vince was unable to relinquish full control despite the promise made in Saginaw. He continued to overrule Watts despite claiming to further withdraw into his executive role.

This battle was fought on the grounds of the October 9, 1995 Monday Night RAW.

CONT'D...(4 of 6)

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Michael Sidgwick is an editor, writer and podcaster for WhatCulture Wrestling. With over seven years of experience in wrestling analysis, Michael was published in the influential institution that was Power Slam magazine, and specialises in providing insights into All Elite Wrestling - so much so that he wrote a book about the subject. You can order Becoming All Elite: The Rise Of AEW on Amazon. Possessing a deep knowledge also of WWE, WCW, ECW and New Japan Pro Wrestling, Michael’s work has been publicly praised by former AEW World Champions Kenny Omega and MJF, and current Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes. When he isn’t putting your finger on why things are the way they are in the endlessly fascinating world of professional wrestling, Michael wraps his own around a hand grinder to explore the world of specialty coffee. Follow Michael on X (formerly known as Twitter) @MSidgwick for more!